Baudrillard on Art as Symptom of Western Culture

In a 1996 interview with artpress, Jean Baudrillard discusses his critical view of contemporary art, arguing that art has become a simulation that merely reflects the dysfunctions of Western culture. He suggests that artists and critics are complicit in a system where art no longer challenges but instead validates existing power structures. Baudrillard contends that the art world operates as a 'commedia dell'arte,' a theatrical performance where roles are played out without genuine stakes. He emphasizes that his interest lies not in art itself but in how it serves as a symptom of broader cultural and social dynamics. The interview touches on his concepts of hyperreality and the implosion of meaning, asserting that contemporary art has lost its critical edge and become absorbed into the spectacle of consumer society. Baudrillard remains skeptical of any redemptive potential in art, viewing it as part of the simulation that masks the void of reality.